The Finally in the Moment
by hilarycantdraw
Summary: Two burning pieces of paper, but only one date. Their date, one year later on their bench next to the coffee cart. Short spur-of-the-moment one shot! Enjoy


**So, while I'm still hard at work on my other story, I couldn't help but write this small little one-shot. It popped into my head and it seemed like such a cool idea that I had to write it. I hope everyone enjoys it! Ready? Super unplanned one-shot in three… two… one…**

Temperance Brennan sat on the bench next to the coffee cart, looking around nervously. She thought back to two months previously when she and Booth had written down those dates on separate pieces of paper and burned them, releasing their wishes to the care of the universe. This was the only specific date she could think of. In her head, it had been their date. The date they had set exactly a year ago when they had left for their separate ends of the world. She wondered if he had thought of this date as well. She hoped that he had, she had caught a knowing glint in his eye as he looked at her while their wishes burned. She hoped that that glint would lead him here today. That it would lead them both back to where they were meant to be, with each other, on their bench as the year that had pushed them so far apart finally melted away and left no remaining space between them.

She stared down at the coffee in her hands and stirred it pensively. She didn't know how much longer she should wait. She was on her third cup already, she had been sitting here practically since dawn. It was barely ten in the morning now, though. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she would probably wait past sunset, it was lucky that this date fell on a Saturday. She was afraid that he would come and she would miss it. She didn't want to miss him. She was scared to death to miss yet another moment that could be theirs. Yes, the universe was speaking again and it told her to stay on the bench.

Tourists were beginning to swarm around her. It was a day unseasonably warm for March and everyone was wearing shorts already. There were countless pairs of pale tourist legs milling about, she was growing slightly annoyed because they were all blocking her line of sight. Her foot tapped impatiently as she scanned the crowd, fighting the doubt that crept into her mind. What if he had completely forgotten about their agreement? It had been a year ago now, and so much had happened since then, she wouldn't blame him if he had forgotten. These doubts chased each other around and around inside her head until she finally caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance, and he had already spotted her.

Seeley Booth had woken up early that morning. He knew what day it was. He had scrawled it across that piece of paper and watched it burned as he caught her eye, hoping that she had had the same thought. He spent the morning pacing his apartment, not wanting to arrive too early. Not that he was even sure she would be there. Something in his gut told him that she would show up.

He left his apartment a little after ten, he couldn't wait any longer. As he approached the coffee cart he felt unreasonably nervous. He wasn't sure what thought made him more nervous, that she wouldn't be there or that she would. Definitely wouldn't, he decided.

He saw her before she saw him. She was sitting on their bench, looking down at the coffee she held. His heart skipped a beat as he watched her. She looked beautiful sitting there in the bright morning sunlight wearing a simple flowered sundress. She looked up, glancing around the crowd, and her eyes finally met his. He gave her a small wave as a smile spread across his face. Her answering grin was brilliant, he could see the relief in her features even from across the crowd.

"Hey," he said, as he got closer to where she sat, it was the only thing he could think to say.

"You came," she responded, the smile still on her face as he sat down next to her.

"Of course I came. I wasn't sure if you would be here," he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Would you make fun of me if I told you I've been here since dawn?" She asked quietly as her fingers wrapped around his.

"I've been pacing around my apartment since then, I didn't want to get here too early," he responded with a smile, "I'm assuming this is the date you wrote down?"

She nodded, "You too?"

"I couldn't think of any better time," he squeezed her hand sweetly.

"Me either," she said, and they lapsed into silence, neither really knowing what to say. She broke that silence a few minutes later, "Are we really going to do this, Booth?" The hope was plain in her voice, "Because I'm ready. I'm really ready Booth. I'm… what's the phrase? All in? I'm all in Booth," her eyes were burning into his, "all in," she repeated on a whisper.

He smiled at her choice of words, "I'm all in too Bones. I'm ready for this, ready to give this the care it deserves."

"You're not angry anymore?" She had to make sure that he was completely sure, she didn't know if her heart would survive if this didn't work.

He shook his head, "I'm not angry. Right now I couldn't be happier." With that, he raised his hand to cup her cheek, pulling her closer to him. When their lips finally met they kissed with all of the love that they had held in for so long. This was their moment, all of the other moments had led up to this. The passion of the kiss was fueled by all of those moments. Jasper the pig, brainy smurf, Thai take-out in the middle of the night, "Hot-Blooded," Bren and Mr. B the night club owners. All of those "guy hugs," that first tequila fueled kiss, the kiss under the mistletoe, that heart wrenching night in the rain. So many tears and shared stories from their pasts. Years of friendship and heart ache. It all led to this moment, in their spot, on their date. They had earned this moment, so they savored it. Their lips and tongues moving in perfect synchronicity, as they each vied for control of the kiss, each wanting to prove their devotion to the other.

Her arms wrapped around him, pulling them flush against each other so there was no space between them. One of his arms wrapped around her waist as the other tangled in her hair. They only pulled apart when they needed to catch their breath, they kept their foreheads pressed together as they stared into each others' eyes, completely oblivious to the curious stares the tourists were giving them.

As Brennan caught her breath, she began to laugh. She wasn't completely sure why but she didn't try to stop it. She was so purely happy, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this light, this free. So she laughed as she pulled him into a hug, not wanting any space between them.

"What's so funny, Bones?" He asked confused, his voice was low and rough, but he couldn't help but smile and drop a kiss on the top of her head.

"I don't know. I'm just so happy. I've wanted to do that for so long, Booth. I just… I love you," she whispered the last part, suddenly serious as she pulled back to look into his eyes, "you make me ridiculously happy."

He was surprised at her confession, but it made him feel unbelievably warm inside, "I love you too, Bones. You make me happy too. You have no idea how happy," with that, he kissed her again. It was a slow tender kiss filled with all of the love he had in his heart. She could feel love of the kiss travel throughout her body, warming her. She had never been kissed so sweetly before. It was definitely something she could get used to.

He pulled back to see that her eyes were shining with unshed tears, "Why are you crying?" He whispered, startled.

"It's just that no one has ever made me feel like this before. And it scares me a little, mostly because I like it so much," his thumb swiped away a wayward tear as she finished speaking.

"Get used to it," he said quietly, "because I plan to kiss you like that every day for the rest of our lives."

"You'd better," she said with a playful smile.

"You can count on it," he said, dropping a quick kiss on her lips, "would you like to go get some lunch? I'm getting hungry."

"Sure," she said smiling, "the diner?"

"You know it," he smiled back at her as he stood and offered her his hand. They left their bench, hand-in-hand as they entered this new long-awaited stage of their relationship.


End file.
